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QUESTION: okay i justed started high school, and im really serious about becoming apart of the special victims unit, could u help me by telling me what kind of classes i would need to take to help me become a svu?
ANSWER: Julie,
I am guessing that you are getting your idea from watching television. The bad news is that only a very few police departments in this country have stand-alone units like you see on tv. The good news is that most departments do the same kind of work that you see on tv but they are not seperate units. In other words a detective in the sex crimes unit will handle a victim by him/herself but there is no special unit that takes care of the victim.
Don't worry about classes. What is important is that you have excellent attendance, great grades, never get in trouble, and have good recommendations from your teachers because when you apply for a police department in eight years the background investigators will be coming to your high school to check your records and interview your teachers.
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QUESTION: i will admit that i like the show, but i got the idea because im really in to helping people who has been through that kind of pain. Im really good with people, but i wouldnt know what else to do if this does not work out for me.
Well the lesson here is for you not to believe anything that you see on television. No shows about the police are realistic meaning that those things do not happen in real life.
Even if you did find a large department, like New York City, that has such a unit do you know that you would be spending years on the street as a uniformed officer? No one goes straight to any specialized unit from civilian life because the person would never know the things that are necessary for working in such a unit.
If you are just entering high school you still have eight years before you are eligible to even apply for the police department and a lot of things are going to happen in high school and while you are in college so just let life come to you and don't get discouraged now.
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Answers by Expert:
Jack Toomey
Expertise
U.S.: I am an expert in this category for the purpose of giving young people an idea what the hiring process involves for the position of police officer. I am getting a flood of questions from young people who are being influenced by unrealistic television shows. I'd ask you to consider that when you watch police shows on television that they are NOT realistic and most of what you see does not happen in real life. Please do not ask me about potential jail sentences that you, your friends, or family might receive in court. There is no way for me to know that. I am NOT a probation officer so I cannot answer questions about probation and parole matters. I am a retired police officer with 26 years experience.I worked in a variety of assignments including investigations, homicide, sex crimes, runaway investigations, missing persons, and fraud.I also dealt with the general public during that time giving a wide range of advice on matters such as domestic disputes, problem solving, teenage problems, civil/criminal matters, and dealing with the mentally ill. I am available to give sound and reasonable advice which can solve most problems. Please do not ask me to do homework questions or online interviews. Young people should not rely on the Internet for interviews. Local police officers are normally very agreeable to assist students with interviews and surveys.
Experience
Worked as a police officer/detective for 26 years.
Graduate of the University of Maryland.B.S. in Law Enforcement.Attended numerous schools and training courses involving investigations, interviewing, interrogations, crime detection, domestic violence, and others. Recognized in court as an expert witness.
Received numerous awards during my police career for expert investigations. Handled the most sensitive and confidential investigations. In 1999 I won an award for my work with high school students while working in my new career in a large suburban high school.
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